All posts tagged flax smoke

“Look at it!” Mom was shining with joy as she pointed at a small white house with a broken fence surrounding it. “Home, it’s our home!”

It was weird entering a place that should be filled with emotions and memories, but which was blank to me. I had no memories from this place, neither did it feel like home. For as long as I could remember my home had been in the district. I tried my best to act as happy as I was supposed to and entered the house. It was dusty and it smelled trapped but I had to admit it still looked nicer than the shack in the district. It surprised me that there was still an old computer and an old TV after all these years.

Mom and dad was swirling around in a hug, laughter escaping their mouths. This had to be about the happiest day of their life and in the confusion I felt, that was something I could be genuinely happy about. ‘I’ll get used to it’ I thought and did a tour in the small house, in my new home.

I took a walkabout in the house, trying to find something I remembered, something that could remind me of a life outside the district. I found nothing. I sat down in a rocking chair in one of the nurseries. It had to be Quince’s because there was only one crib while there were two in the other. So, this was it. My new home. My new life.

It had been a good start, I had to admit that much. Oceana had been released from the hospital after two days of observation when the doctors were sure her breathing was stabilized and functioning as normal. Quince and Sweets had been released from custody the day after the rebellion, along with the rest of our friends, with no punishments. We all suspected they would be held under close observation by the police for a while, though. Mayor Bloom had been forced to step down from his post as Mayor, and were simply Mr. Bloom by now. His assistant had taken the vacant spot, while a new election was being planned. I had never heard of an election during a term, but with the ruling circumstances there really was no other choice. Yes, things were looking brighter than ever and now I had a real home.

Mom decided we would throw a homecoming party. We all agreed that it was a good idea since we had finally managed to succeed in our political plan. We were no longer secluded because of our color. It was a giant step in the right direction. It would also be the first party in many, many years that we could host in a real home instead of at the pub. That alone was worth celebrating.

To my big surprise, the stereo still worked after all the years it had not been used. I shifted through mom and dad’s old record collection and came up with a mix of Indie, Rock, Jazz and RnB that would suit pretty much everyone. I can’t say I was a master when it came to music, but I was quite sure I was better than mom and dad.

While I prepared the music, mom was swirling around in front of a mirror, trying some of her old clothes on. She had been doing that regularly the last few days. I was a bit jealous because I couldn’t feel the same homecoming feeling as her and dad. I wanted to be happy in the same way as they were. It wasn’t like I could try my old clothes on to remember past days either, since they were all baby clothes. Oh well…

Pretty much all of our friends came for the party and it was a good night. Quince mixed a few drinks and placed them on the dining table so that everyone could just help themselves. “I want to raise a toast” Cinnamon suddenly exclaimed and threw her arm around Oceana’s body in a friendly gesture. Someone lowered the volume of the stereo while Cinnamon got to speak, “This girl, my friends, is the bravest girl I know. I want to raise a toast for her, for putting her berryhole brother in prison – where he belongs! To Oceana!”

The party cheered and emptied their glasses for Oceana’s sake. I did the same, even though I could see it was hard for Oceana. She hated her brother alright, but reporting him and getting him arrested had put another nail in the coffin between her and her family. I knew it was hard, because even if she despised them, they were her family and now they hated her. The world might have become a better place for colorless berries, but because of the latest happenings it was a lot more dangerous to Oceana. Still, she smiled as Cinnamon talked and when the rest of us drank what we had in our glasses, she did so too.

Later that evening it was Flax’s turn to raise a toast. He cleared his throat and started speaking once everyone was quiet. He had quite the power in our little circuit because he was the leader of our party and all. “I’m proud of you all for getting us here” he said.

Mithos, who stood next to him, rocked back and forth on his heels. After a short rhetorical pause, Flax continued, “I’m not as young as I used to be. I know you can see it, but I can certainly feel it. Berry, my joints are stiff as a lollipop in the mornings and I do all kind of morging gymnastics to even get out of bed. Because of this, it’s time for me to hand the leadership over. It hasn’t been an easy choice, but the guy who will be taking over is a fantastic young boy with just the right amount of fighting spirit. We deliberated together, and have decided to re-name the party as well. Whites stood for the justice of colorless, but with how far we have come now, we want to focus on equality for every ‘bow regardless of color instead. Hence, the new name of the party is Spectrum. And now my friends, please all all raise your glasses in a toast for Mithos Spring, the perfect new leader for our politics!”

It came as a surprise to most of us, but Mithos just smiled proudly and emptied his glass. Not that he wasn’t a perfect leader because I sure couldn’t imagine anyone better suited, but because it was hard to accept that Flax (and hence my parents) were getting to the point where they needed to hand responsibilities over. Shouldn’t they be around forever?

No wonder, it was an epic party that night. There was just so much to celebrate. We kept going the whole night.

Having a real home had it’s advantages, I realized quickly. Not only did it mean a higher portion of safety and feeling of belonging but it also meant I could invite friends over. And the friend I most enjoyed being with, was Oceana. I think she needed me as much as I needed her. And we had great fun! It almost felt as though we were normal ‘bows now, living free in the world, having friends.

Although, Oceana was still scared. Putting her brother in prison had most likely been that final straw that broke the camel’s back. She just knew her family was after her now. She had betrayed them and in their eyes, she was the one belonging in jail, not Tiber.

“He only got nine months” she told me and the fear and worry made her eyes wander back and forth, as if she was keeping a lookout. Not that she wasn’t safe in our home, but I guess she must have felt constantly scared now. “What will happen after those months, Sunny?” I promised her it would be fine, but deep down inside I wasn’t so sure.

Although, there were moments when the fear lifted its grip around her and she could be goofy, happy and playsome. It didn’t matter which Oceana she showed, I loved her anyway. I have to admit though, it was easier hanging out with the happy Oceana than the constantly scared one.

Since she was scared of being at her own house, and alone, she spent a great deal of time at our place. It was almost as if she was a part of our family, although we were still no official couple, so calling her family would be a bit over the top. But it was nice, eating dinner together and talking about unessential things.

“So, are you two ever going to bring us any grandchildren?”

I pretty much choked on my hot dog. Sometimes I hated my mother, but that was just her way. She didn’t do cotton candy wrapped words.

“I think that would be rather unfair” Oceana replied, without looking the slightest offended. “To them, I mean. With my family, those poor kids would be pretty much haunted. I couldn’t do that.”

It was as if a rock collapsed on my shoulders. Sure, I knew she was scared her family would come after her and I had never really considered having a family with her, but getting it put so straight wasn’t fair. I mean, there was still the possibility, right? I knew from that moment that if Oceana were to ever have a proper future, where she wouldn’t have to be constantly afraid, I would have to do something. I would create a world where she could be safe.

The only thing that came to my mind, was trying to talk some sense in to her family. I knew it wouldn’t be easy but if there was even the slightest chance that Oceana would feel safer afterwards, it was worth a try. So, I gathered enough courage to visit the Sourz residence again. It was the first time I went there since we egged the place, and it brought back a few memories. This time I came with good intentions though.

I pressed the door bell and it wasn’t until then I realized what a stupid idea this was, if I got hurt it certainly wouldn’t get any better for Oceana. Although, it was too late to back out now. Heliotrope opened the door and the disgust that flooded to his eyes when he saw me was impossible to miss. He snarled, “You!”

“I just wanted to ask you to leave Oceana alone, she’s had it hard enough” I stuttered. I really tried to be polite and friendly but with a man in front of you with such a clear hate for you, it’s hard to not tremble a bit.

“Scram, vanilla freak!” He slammed the door shut. Well, that didn’t go as planned but at least I didn’t get hurt in the process.

With no other idea to how I could make the world a better place foe the girl I had fallen in love with, I went back to the Sourz residence the next day. Since I hadn’t been hurt the day before, I had found new courage and this time around, I wasn’t as scared when I pressed the door bell. Once again, Heliotrope opened the door and looked furious by the plain sight of me. “I told you to leave us be” he sputtered.

“And I want you to promise to leave Oceana alone” I answered, just stammering a bit.

Heliotrope stared at me deadly and it almost felt as if his eyes made burn marks on my body. “I just wish Tiber would have killed her, like he killed your purple friend” Heliotrope hissed slowly between gritted teeth and took a step out on the porch, closing the door behind him, In a matter of seconds, he had pushed me backwards so that I was lying defenseless on their porch. He jumped me and started to beat me up, angry words escaping his mouth in the process. “I just wish he would have killed her” he whispered again once he stood up and gave me some room to breathe. “She’s a disgrace to this family.” With those final words, he left me on the porch and walked back in to the house.

I cleaned myself up at the gym on my way home, not wanting anyone to see that I had been beaten up. Least of all Oceana, who I suspected was at our house as usual.

It seemed like my little washup at the gym had done wonders because not once that evening did Oceana hint anything about a possible fight. In fact, she seemed to be a bit out of her game, which had me wonder if anything had happened to her this specific day. When I asked, she just waved it away though, saying she was just being tired.

We went to bed early that night and Oceana fell asleep fast while I myself tossed from one side to the other, sleep not willing to catch me at all. I presumed it had to do with my worries for Oceana. It couldn’t be easy on the poor thing walking around with constant worry. And what if Heliotrope finally got to her? What if he actually put any action in to the words he had tossed after me today? What if he actually wanted her dead? I couldn’t keep a constant lookout around Oceana and if Heliotrope really wanted to kill her, what would stop him?

I had an uneasy sleep that night. Nightmare after nightmare haunted me, each and everyone including me losing Oceana from my life. When I woke up I had to look at her twice, and actually touch her once, before I was certain that she was in fact still here.

I needed to do something.

It was Cinnamon, of course it was Cinnamon, who came up with the final idea. It was stupid, but it could possibly work. After much deliberation I had decided to tell her about my worries and about my encounters with Heliotrope. It was too tough carrying it all by myself and the fact that I couldn’t come up with anything to keep Oceana real safe troubled me. Once I had shared it with Cinnamon, it felt a bit better.

She offered to help me, and I was grateful. So it happened that I rang the door bell at the Sourz residence for the third time in a very short time. With Cinnamon by my side it felt a teeny bit safer, and without her there, I probably never would have dared. While waiting for the door to open I gently touched the contents of my pocket, making sure it was all in place. The purple, fury, eyes that stared at me when the door opened gave me the chills but Cinnamon tackled me gently to make me speak. “You have one last chance. Promise to not harm Oceana, to leave her alone.”

Heliotrope laughed. It was a mean, evil and menacing laugh, “Ha! We can’t? Well, we managed with that purple waster, didn’t we?”

Cinnamon took my hand and squeazed it gently. I knew it meant I had to press on, “She’s your sister, Heliotrope!”

“I don’t give a damn about ‘bows showing any sympathy for freaks! They deserve to die and if I can help cleanse this town from their filthy existense, I’ll gladly do it again. What was his name, Affair?, he deserved to die. And so do you and everyone who cares for you. YOU ARE FREAKS!”

Cinnamon kicked his chins before he had time to attack us and as he bent down in pain we ran. We ran as fast as we could, as far away as possible and when we finally stopped we looked at each other and smiled wide before embracing each other in a hug. It had succeeded, he had walked straight in to the trap!

I pulled out the phone from my pocket and pressed Stop, to stop the recording.

I clenched the phone in my hands when we walked towards the police station, knowing that it held the future of my life, and foremost – Oceana’s life. Not even the stupid police force of Fondant Fields could resist a recognition. Heliotrope would soon be joining his brother where they both belonged and they wouldn’t get out anytime soon.

By the time the twins were about to celebrate their birthday we were ready to open The Blank Slate. With Thunderbird and Quince in the lead, we had worked with the opening of the pub parallel with the uprising.

It was nothing special, really. But it was situated outside the district and it was a place were we could welcome colorless and supporters to actually have a relaxed and fun evening. It was located in the town’s outskirts, which was a quite deserted area that felt safe enough. It had to be a secret, of course, and only the most consecrated could be invited.

It was the first of my kids birthday’s that could be properly celebrated and we were all excited beyond words.

Mithos and Quince had worked the entire morning with decorating the pub and the stone walls were covered with streamers and behind the bar hung a big banner with the twins’ names on it. It looked amazing and I was so proud. They were only teenagers and they had already managed to do this.

The hours before the party and the grand opening Quince was nervously checking that everything was in order. He ordered the staff to clean the glasses one additional time and had them practice to mix White Feeling one last time. White Feeling was a juice drink that he and Thunderbird had come up with all be themselves. It would be The Blank Slate’s special drink.

The place was soon filled with our closest friends and their families. Pretty much every member of Whites made their way there, as well as the majority of the inhabitants of District 0.

The mood in the room was uplifting and happy. Everyone had a smile on their face.

It was the perfect birthday celebration and premiere one could ever have hoped for. Berries of all colors danced together and laughed together. This what exactly what the world could be like. I just knew that this place would become one of the greatest sanctuaries ever. It would be a place that looked beyond skin color and ruling politics. It would be a place were every color deserved happiness.

My daughter enjoyed the evening to the fullest, she made sure to constantly be the centre of attention as she swung her hips at the dance floor. “Mom, look at me now! Quincie, come dance with me!”

I looked around and all I could see was happy faces (well, apart from the grumpy lady who insisted on just standing by the edge of the dance floor, not daring to dance because it was childish – but that was her loss really). It was hard to imagine that outside these walls were different rules. It was hard to even think about the fact that this place would be shut down immediately if the government found out about its whereabouts.

It didn’t make any sense.

“What are you thinking of over there?” the bartender raised his voice and shouted to Mithos on the far side of the bar.

Mithos had a drink in his hand and he was looking both proud and a bit nervous at the same time. I knew he was thinking about the same things as I was, that The Blank Slate was already a lovely place. But it was also dangerous for everyone involved.

“Nothing special. Just what a great night this is” Mithos replied and shot off a bright smile. “Why don’t you serve the lady there a drink instead” he added after a while and nodded towards Bluebell who sat between them.

The bartender chuckled and turned towards Bluebell, “And what can I get you?”

“A white feeling, of course” she giggled and her eyes sparkled. She was one of the most precious young girls I knew. I was indescribable happy that she and Quince were still so good friends.

As the bartender got started on Bluebell’s drink, Quince joined her at the bar and smiled widely towards her. “Having a good time?” he wondered.

“This is amazing!” Bluebell exclaimed with enthusiasm. “I can’t believe you have done all this! My best friend Quincie, owning a bar. Can you believe it yourself?!”

“Dunno. It’s quite cool, I suppose. You have to promise to come here regularly. I count on you, you know?”

“I couldn’t keep away even if I tried” Bluebell replied and went over to wrap her arms around my son. “I’m so proud of you” she whispered and gave him a quick peck on the cheek which made him blush.

Bluebell then went back to her seat at the bar to wait for her drink. Quince kept staring after her, smiling widely.

“Cheers!” he shouted once Bluebell had gotten her drink and they slammed their glasses together and took a sip each.

“Come, let’s dance!” Quince pulled Bluebell with him to the dance floor and started swinging his hips back and forth to a fault. Bluebell laughed loudly and started dancing with him.

They were sweet together and the memory of me and Pixie joking about the two of them falling in love many years ago, suddenly came back to me. I couldn’t help but giggle, it seemed like it wasn’t that far away. It was certainly a possibility.

Eventually, Sweet Corn demanded to get to blow her candles and as she and Sundance did everyone cheered and sang for them.

Sweet Corn enjoyed the attention and did a dramatic pirouette in front of everyone and ended by bowing low before her audience.

“Now I want to dance!” she shouted out after rapidly finishing a slice of the birthday cake. “Come on Sunny, it’s your day too!”

Sundance complained at first but eventually he let himself get dragged to the dance floor. It turned out that he was quite the dancer, even though he had never really tried before. At least not that we knew of. He kept true to himself by moving to a corner of the dance floor, trying to keep to himself even though he was one of the main attractions of the evening.

As the night went on Sundance seemed to gain more and more confidence and moved further and further out on the dance floor. About an hour after his first step on the black -painted floor he was standing in the centre of it with a content and thrilled smile on his lips.

“That’s right Sunny. Swing those hips!” Quince laughed and took Sundance’s hands to turn him around in a pirouette. The two of them broke out in laughter shortly after and it was contagious. The mood in the room lifted at the sight of the two boys joy.

Affair gathered enough courage to dance up towards Sweet Corn and take her hands as well. She happily agreed and just as she did Affair imitated Quince’s move with Sundance and turned her around in a pirouette. An even wider smile broke loose in her face and as she watched the young purple guy in front of her, I couldn’t help but think that there was some extra spark in her eyes.

After the jokingly pirouette, the two of them were practically glued together for the rest of the night.

It was way past midnight when the guests started to drop off and Quince, Mithos and Thunderbird could start cleaning things up behind the bar. We stuck around for support and Bluebell made sure Sundance never got to sit down. After Sweet Corn gave in for aching feet, Sundance and Bluebell were the last couple on the dance floor. They danced and laughed for another hour until it was time to go home.

All in all, the birthday party and the premiere had been everything we had hoped for. In fact, it had been more than we hoped for. The Blank Slate was exactly the new page our life story needed.

Helping out in the uprisings was probably the best decision we had made in a very long time. First of all because it was something I enjoyed doing and I thought was important. And secondly because it kept me busy and prevented me from spending time feeling sorry for myself. And last, it meant I could once again spend time with Flax.

He had (of course) also been forced to move in to the district and ever since that TV-show there had been a barrier between us. It was as though the reactions to him bringing Sundance built a wall between us. I blamed him for making my kids go through the awful events and he did his best to stay out of my way. I guess he did feel a bit guilty about it.

With the new uprisings growing, I realized that it had never been his fault. I had simply felt the need to blame someone and he had been a good choice. Spending time with him again felt good and I knew he cared deeply for me and my children’s rights for a fair treatment in society. Besides we were quite alike each other in many other areas as well. It was a friendship meant to be, and the fact that we had tried to forget that was pretty sad. And now, it was all coming back to us.

Quince was always out on some “mission” after he had decided to join. He wanted to scout the outside and make friends among the colorfuls, he said. We let him be, he was old enough to know what he was doing. And he had color so no-one would intentionally harm him unless they realized what he was working for. And I knew they were careful.

Sweet Corn was still mad at us for forcing her to stay out of it and she longed for her birthday so that she would be old enough to also do something. I knew it killed her to just sit by when the rest of her family poured their heart and soul in to an uprising she couldn’t join. To keep her at least partly occupied Drover had brought home an easel and some canvases and paints. “Learn how colors work” he said and handed it over to her.

She probably knew it was just a distraction but she still spent her time in front of that easel. She painted her dream worlds, paintings where color and colorless worked in unison. Where it was possible to mix and match as you pleased.

Sundance kept silent as always and he stayed out of our way, minding his own business. Sometimes he sat with me and Flax and just listened to what we spoke about. Those times you could see that he gathered every word and every opinion in a compartment at the back of his head.

This was one of those times. Me and Flax was talking about the rumours Quince brought from the outside in a hushed tone while Sundance sat next to us and listened to every word. He never interrupted and never asked any questions, it was as though he understood that it was a dangerous topic and that we needed to keep it quiet.

Because of his quiet nature, it came as quite the suprise when he suddenly cried “Mithos!” and jumped up and rushed towards the young yellow boy.

“Hey there champ” Mithos said and ruffled Sundance’s usually well-combed hair. Mithos had instantly fallen in love with Sundance when he realized that was the boy who had been on the TV-show. And Sundance returned the feeling multiple times. Mithos was Sundance’s hero and one of the few ‘bows who had managed to drag him out of his shell.

“Did you bring us anything good?” Sundance wondered and almost made Mithos drop the basket he was carrying. Mithos never told him off or looked annoyed though, he just laughed and pulled a colorful wrapped chocolate bar up from the basket and handed it to Sundance, “Chocolate for the champ.”

“And now you need to talk to my mother, right?” Sundance smiled and ran off in to our home. I couldn’t help but to gasp, Mithos had a huge impact on my son. Well, in fact he had a huge impact on all of my kids, and me, but it was the most obvious when it came to Sundance.

“I brought some fruits and some bread” Mithos said once he had managed to get to us. It was brave of him, and probably a bit dumb, to cross the laws Mayor Bloom had set up and bring us food within the district. It was of course strictly forbidden. We had to our food ourself outside the district, with an increased cost of 200% because we lacked color. Since we were also forbidden to have any employment outside the district, that was pretty much impossible and we had to be happy with the small food deliveries Fondant Fields officially did to us.

Since Mithos started bringing us food, my kids looked healthier and we all felt happier and more hopeful.

“I can’t thank you enough” I said and tried to master a look matching the thankfulness within my body. I probably didn’t succeed very well.

“One has to do what he can, right?” Mithos smiled. I spent a short moment thinking about the fact that he was the second teenager to fuel the hope within me. The first was sitting next to me, all grown up. Imagine what the world could be like if every ‘bow was as naive and energetic as those teenagers. It would sure be a better place.

“Is Quince out again?” Mithos asked and brought me back to reality.

“Isn’t he always?” I nodded. “He should probably be back soon, though. He just went to say hey to Bluebell”

“Right, I’ll wait then” he said and sat down with us. He was not only Sundance’s hero and idol, he was also one of Quince’s best friends. Actually, Quince had met all of his friends except Bluebell through Mithos so it made a lot of sense.

While we waited, Mithos filled us in on the latest rumours and gossip about colorless and their rights. Apparantly, the support for Whites had been growing rapidly the past few weeks and just in the last two days we had gained 50 new members. The downside was, that for every new member we officially gained, the antagonists gained two. So even if we grew, it still wasn’t enough to put ruling thoughts and opinions to rest.

“Although, they obviously don’t know of the support we have here, within the walls” Mithos added and I felt a flicker of hope. There was still a chance.

Quince came back just a while later and by the sight of Mithos his face lit up in a big smile, which was instantly reflected. “Hey Quincie!” Mithos said and pucnhed him jokingly in the chest. The two of them were the best of friends.

I walked up to my oldest son and gave him a hug, “You look happy today”.

“I am” he said happily. “Thunderbird has the most awesome idea!”

We waited for him to continue and when he finally did I could barely believe my ears. I understood that it wouldn’t exactly be allowed and that it was something the four boys would have to work on in secret. They had to be very careful with this.

Maybe I should have said no. I probably should. But I didn’t, the possibilities it would bring for colorless was far too tempting. So instead I found myself supporting them. I promised I would help them get the pub going. It would be the perfect place for Whites and our supporters to hold meetings and plan for a better future. I was excited.

—

AN: Thunderbird is the red berry who came with Mithos to District 0 in the previous chapter.

So, Mallow’s generation is over. I consider the two nurseries built for the kids as the expansion to the house. While they may be minor I found it hard to do much else in this first generation. I also built the gym she’s using within the first days of game play. Her luxury roll was fulfilled with a luxury bathroom. 🙂 I’m sorry for not involving those two rolls more in the story. I’ll get better with that!

“Who’s that?” Drover whispered and pointed towards three colorful figures further away. It rarely happened that colorful ‘bows visited District 0 and when they did, whispers like Drover’s were common among us colorless. I had never seen them before, and judging by their clean looks they were new to the district.

They seemed to be about fourteen years old, give or take a few years. Probably just a bit older than Quince, actually. But the way they moved made them seem older. They were confident, upright and curious. Their eyes was greedily scanning off the grey surroundings.

“Hey there!” I shouted after them and the few colorless that had been out hurried in to their homes in fear.

“Hey yourself!” One of them shouted back and they started walking towards us.

“It’s you!” They stopped dead and stared at me.

“Uhm, hi?” I said fumbling.

“Oh Berry! I can’t believe it’s you!”

I looked confused at the young guy in front of me and Drover slipped his hand in to mine.

“You’re Marshmallow Puff, ye?” The yellow guy asked, as if it was a way of explaining himself. Silly, I obviously knew who I was, I just didn’t know who they were, or why they knew me.

“I’m Mithos” he said and stretched his hand out in a friendly gesture. As I took it to formally introduce myself he pulled me closer and whispered in my ear: “It’s starting again, it’s happening.” He then let go off my hand and looked around. “Some hot chocolate would be great, thanks for the offer.”

“What?” I felt really, really confused.

“After you” he continued and motioned for me to start moving.

I don’t know exactly how it happened, but somehow we did end up in our home with a cup of chocolate in front of us. The three young guys looked curious and mysterious.

“What’s happening?” Drover demanded to know once we were settled and felt safe.

Before they had time to answer our kids came bursting through the front door, laughing and joking with each other. By the sight of the three unknown boys in our kitchen they stopped dead. They knew that unknown colorful people in District 0 usually meant trouble and their faces went from happy to worried in an instant. Quince took a step forward so that he was standing between the three boys and the twins. “Who are they?” he wondered.

“They’re from the outside” I explained. “They were just about to tell us something.” My kids all stayed to listen, still in a safe distance from our guests.

“The uprising! There’s a buzz all around Fondant Fields, people are starting to question District 0!” One of the guys, who we still didn’t have a name on, suddenly said and smiled widely.

“Uprising?” Quince’s face lit up in a big smile.

“Ya, we just need help from the inside and we wanted to find Flax and you” Mithos said and looked at me.

“I’m in!” Quince said eagerly and almost jumped at the spot in excitement. Neither me or Drover knew how to (or even if) we should correct him and talk him out of it. Uprisings? It sounded dangerous, but it was also what we had taught our kids through their childhood that they should fight for.

Drover squeazed my hand and smiled, “So are we. And Flax will be too.”

The three guys all smiled and thanked us a hundred times before they left that day. Our task was fairly simple, all we had to do was to convince our neighbours in the district to get on the train. It would be simple enough, wouldn’t it?

—

“NO! You are not taking part in this!” I said for the millionth time that same night. Sundance and Sweet Corn thought it was the most unfair thing ever that they weren’t allowed to help in the uprisings. In mine and Drover’s opinion they were too young with their 9 years. Fact was, Quince was probably too young as well and he was four years older. It was impossible to talk him out of it, though.

“But why can Quince do it?” Sweet Corn wondered and flapped her eyelashes.

“Because he is older than you! End of discussion!” It was uncommon for me to need to raise my voice against any of the twins and I had a slight feeling of guilt when I saw their sad faces. That didn’t mean that I would change my mind in the matter, though.

“That’s so unfair” Sweet Corn muttered and tugged at Sundance’s arm to make him move with her. He hesitated for a moment before he decided to follow her. Sweet Corn stomped extra hard at every step, to really manifest how irritated she was with my desicion. Sundance followe with light steps, not looking too bothered at all.

Drover took my hands, he must have seen how hard it was on me to upset my kids. “We did the right thing” he said. “Remember what happened the last time we let Sundance join the campaign.”

The memory pierced my heart like a knife. My poor baby boy. I couldn’t help to wonder if his silent, fragile character had anything to do with our desicion to use him as a statue for the rebellion.

“This is Sundance” Flax said and helped my son to wave towards the TV cameras and right through our screens. Murmur broke loose in the studio and the host asked a few questions about where my son was from and why Flax had decided to bring him. The debate was not much about politics, but rather about my son’s appearance and whether the fact that white transferred along with yellow was positive or negative.

After the show a whole group of antagonists had gathered outside the studio and as Flax came out through the doors they spat Sundance right in the face. “FREAK!” they called after the two of them as Flax tried his best to protect Sundance while he hurried off.

“The boy we saw on TV last night is a true shame for our kind” Mayor Bloom said in a speech the next day. “I promise to do my best to keep you pure ‘bows safe from this plague. No one should have to endour the look of that colorless skin. It’s a shame that they have been allowed to breed and I will work towards purifying our kind. I promise to cure us!”

The speech was already a classic, well-known speech and had been broadcasted several times after that first time. We had managed to keep our kids from seeing it for a long, long time but we couldn’t keep it from them forever.

“Is it my fault, mom?” Sundance asked after he had seen it. “District 0, is it my fault? Are we here because of me?”

I remembered the question very well, a bit too well. He had never really gone back to his old self after that and I knew he had a great guilt on his shoulders. It didn’t matter that we told him time after time that he had nothing to do with it. He seemed so sure that he was the ultimate pest.

I was pretty much a lifeless, depressed bundle of misery. I laid curled up on the bed and cried. All the happiness we had felt over the twins arrival was gone. POOF! It had vanished as soon as I laid my eyes on them for the first time.

Sweet Corn Twist and Sundance Twist.

They where white. As white as they could be, actually. Drover hugged me tight before they were shown to me, and said: “They are perfect!”

As soon as I saw them in their cribs I started crying. I literally collapsed in a heap on the floor and cried. It was the worst thing that could have happened. Colorless babies. Failures. Freaks.

When Quince was born, I was so sure that all my worries had been in vain. That it was actually impossible for white genes to pass on unless a rare mutation took place. I hadn’t even worried about it during this pregnancy. I had been completely unprepared.

“It’s gonna be alright” Drover promised.

“They are perfect just the way they are” Pixie tried.

“I’ll win this time, they will have a good life” Flax said.

It didn’t matter. I couldn’t listen to them. I hated myself too much. It had been selfish and thoughtless to even consider kids. Breeding on my white genes, it was plain stupid and I cried and cried and cried for all the hurt I would cause my children. It was all my fault.

“You have to start going up” Drover complained and sat on the edge of the bed. “I can’t do this alone, Mallow. I need you. Please, please, please. I need you!”

“The kids are fine!” Drover suddenly yelled and stood up. “I don’t mind having white kids, they are lovely. But you. THIS! I shouldn’t need this, Mallow! You have to get up. You have to fight. That’s who you are. How can you have forgot? Where is the strong, confident and forceful girl I fell in love with? Because this isn’t her!” He slammed the door when he went out, and the walls shook. My fireman’s coat hanging on a hook by the door fell down and I cried some more.

It was what I needed, though. Within a few hours I had managed to get up from the bed and take a shower. I still felt a bit guilty but there was also another feeling rising within me. Something that would probably be described just the way Drover described me. It was strength, confidence and force. If anyone should stand up for those two colorless babies, it had to be me. I had to fight for them.

It wasn’t exactly turning the world upside-down, but we took small steps. I did what my parents had done with me: I took my children with me around the town, like any normal family and ignored the hateful, disgusted looks we got. I refused to let anyone look down on my children. They were fine, just the way they were!

Flax loved the twins with all his heart. He was spending so much time with them, it almost felt as though he was the father. Drover was constantly working so Flax came over every day to give me an extra hand with the two. It was probably their whiteness that made him feel so attached to them. In his mind, they were the best thing that could have happened because we need more colorless sims to prove our statements.

I liked having him around because he was so positive and so certain that we were moving forward. His faith and hope had a way of rubbing off and I always felt better at heart after spending time with him.

When the kids slept we would talk about the future of Whites or the future of my children and he would assure me that things were starting to look better. He had a way of calming me down, even when I had strikes of sadness or despair.

Except for Pixie, he was my best friend.

Whites had lost some members after the previous election and we pretty much had to start over. Only that this time, we knew a lot more about the actual process. Failure is, even though it’s a cliche, the best way to success. “I think we shall play it more strategic this time” Flax said and explained that our former protests probably had done more harm than good because they made us seem violent. Not that we had been, but since colorless scared the regular ‘bow, so did our protests.

“So what shall we do then?” I asked, knowing that I couldn’t provide with a lot of time, since I had my family to care for.

“I think what you and Drover are currently doing are the best thing” he replied and smiled. “We have to provide facts to that colorless are just as real as any other berry. And I think Sundance and Sweet Corn are the perfect proof. I think they are a true blessing.”

A blessing. It had never considered their whiteness that way before. But maybe Flax was right, maybe they were a blessing. If only we could make the town see that my twins were perfect and adorable and certainly not a failure. If only!

“Who’s the best colorless baby ever? Who is it, who is it?” Flax rubbed his nose against Sundance’s. It was nice to watch them. Flax was a natural with kids and Sundance was Flax’s favourite, don’t ask me why. For some reason, Flax was certain that Sundance would be the one to mend Fondant Fields. To Flax, Sundance was the savior.

To me, Flax was the final thing to get me back to my old true self. The one who believed the world could change. The one who wouldn’t stop fighting for what she knew was right. And for that, I was him forever grateful.

“I was invited to a debate that will be broadcasted on national TV tomorrow” Flax told me the day of the twins birthday. It was closing in towards the next election and Flax was pretty much seen all around town, thanks to Whites campaign. Usually, we would just be left out in all the debates about the election, so him being invited was a huge thing and he was pretty much shining with joy and pride.

“That’s great” I said and pulled him in for a hug.

Flax responded to the hug halfheartedly before he released me. He took a firm grip of my shoulders and looked deep in to my eyes. I almost blushed by the pure act. “I want to bring Sundance” he said slow and clear.

“Bring Sundance?!”

“Just look at him! He is white and yellow. He’s the perfect mix of colorless and color. And he is the cutest thing! No one can ignore his charm, I promise!”

“… I don’t know” I responded and a hundred thoughts of what could happen to my baby rushed through my head. There was no way I was going to let him and I felt irritated about the fact that he even dared to think I would risk my kid’s safety like that.

Obviously, there was a point in Flax’s argument. Sundance was white and yellow. He was a mix, a boy with genes passed on.

Somehow, it hurt less with Sundance because he had that yellow hair. There was color in him. Sweet Corn, on the other side, was just like me. Plain, blank, colorless and white. And that scared me more than anything. Her whole life she would have to go through what I went through, but even worse. My poor little baby girl.

She was a happy child. She had the most amazing laughter you can imagine. If champagne bubbles would laugh, that’s how it would sound. I knew that would most certainly change, she wouldn’t have much reasons to laugh when society locks her up in some special school and prevents her from seeing others her own age. I wondered what that would do to her?

When our guests had left the house later that evening I was cleaning the house like a maniac. I needed dull work to keep my head off the troubling thoughts that had started with Flax’s suggestion. It was a lot easier to wipe imaginary spots off the kitchen counters than to come up with an answer for Flax.

“What’s the matter baby?” Drover asked, knowing me well enough to tell I was upset about something. I sighed deep and told him about Flax’s suggestion.

“I know what you mean” Drover said once I was done complaining about the fact that one of my best friends thought risking my babies well-being was worth it. “But I also think it’s worth it. I mean, look at him. He’ll make a great statue!”

And that was that. Sundance would be going to the TV-studio with Flax the very next day.

It was an early morning when my phone buzzed and vibrated to life. The name Laser Lemon on the screen told me I was about to get some news on my best friend’s pregnancy. I hurried to answer, not yet knowing whether I should expect happy or sad news. I braced myself, “Hey Laser, ‘sup?” His tone immediately made me relax, it was a proud, happy Laser Lemon on the other end of the line.

“A girl, really?” I smiled widely at the news. Apparantly, Pixie had delivered a healthy, blue-skinned little angel just the other night and they now invited me over, to be the first one to meet her outside of the family. It was a big honor to me.

“Didn’t I tell you so?” I said and carefully lifted the little miracle up. She was the most precious little berry I had ever seen. She looked at me with her big eyes and flapped her long eye lashes and I felt how my heart basically melted. “Oh, Marshmallow will spoil you rotten, little miracle” I said and placed a light finger on her tiny, perfect nose.

I had heard how the smell of infants were special and magical, but I had never felt it myself. Until now. I couldn’t stop sniffing her or looking at her. When her little tiny hand reached for one of my fingers I thought my face would crack from the wide smile I formed.

I sighed happily and handed her over to the proud mother in front of me, my best friend Pixie. “She’s perfect Pixie!” I stated and Pixie stretched her back and hugged her baby tight. “I know she’s amazing” she sighed content. “I can’t believe I’m a mother, but then again it feels like she’s been her forever and I would never cope a day without her.”

“What are you going to call her?” I wondered.

“I let Laser decide” she begun. “And he says she’s a Bluebell. Isn’t that the most perfect name ever?”

“It feels as though I was born to be a mother” Pixie said later as she was feeding little Bluebell.

“Maybe you were?” I replied, still having trouble to stop looking at the miracle in her arms. “I can’t really see myself as a mother, though.”

“What?! You would be a fantastic mother!” Pixie protested. “But now, you haveto fill me in on what’s happening between you and Drover! It feels like I’ve missed a decade in your lives!”

I chuckled, she was right. With how sudden our relation had changed, she had indeed missed a lot! “Well, you know he moved in with me, right?” Pixie nodded and I continued, “I suppose it was meant to happen eventually. I mean, we were constantly hanging out. And I think I tried to suppress my feelings because you know, I’m white and he’s yellow and I shouldn’t get my hopes up. Yada, yada, you know? I mean, why would someone with color want to stand being with a colorless when things are as they are? But then, he isn’t like everyone else and when he asked me if he could move in I kind of went with it and kissed him.”

I continued by telling her how we had continued kissing and how good it felt. I even went in to some details that I won’t share here, but let’s just say, she knew very well were I and Drover was standing when we were done.

“Little Bluebell, I have to go to work now. But make sure you take care of your momma here alright? You’re a lucky girl to have such a mother” I cooed just before I left. It was hard leaving them. I just loved Pixie so much and Bluebell was a true joy to be around.

I could tell I would soon be back, possibly bringing Drover with me.

I still loved my job, but some days it was tough to drag myself there. Days like this, when a little blue-skinned perfect girl was left behind in my best friends’ house, for example. But in the end, someone had to make sure this town was safe from fires, right?

—

On a completely different note, Flax had celebrated his 18th birthday a couple of days ago and he was looking mighty good as an adult. With his charismatic skills I just knew he would be able to snare both one and two girls. He always had a smile on his face, even though the election coming up in a few weeks stressed him out.

“What if no-one votes for me?!” he freaked when he came to visit and I always calmed him down with saying he would at least get one vote, from me. And I usually added that I was fairly certain Drover would vote for him as well. This did usually calm him down a bit, ’cause even if he really wanted to be elected, he would at least manage to stay afloat if he at least got a couple of votes.

“You know, we actually do have a chance” he said a while later and I couldn’t help but smile. His mood changed as a rollercoaster nowadays.

“I know, last measurement showed us having quite a good chance” I agreed, referring to the measurement where Whites had placed at a much approved second place. We knew they were never certain these measurements, but that only fed our hopes. If we could place second in a measurement we were actually able to win!

“You know, I never would have done this if it weren’t for you” he suddenly said and smiled. “You are awesome, Marshmallow. Don’t you ever let someone tell you different.” I blushed because it wasn’t exactly everyday business to me to get such compliments. In fact, it hadn’t been that long since I got my first compliment outside of family. Life had definitely changed quite quickly for me.

—

The day of the election we gathered a whole group of Whites at my place to watch the counting of votes. It was a joyful, exciting evening and we watched the diagrammes change on my tv-screen slowly as more and more votes were counted.

As the bars changed, so did our moods. It would have been fun to watch from the outside. Happy faces – Sad faces – Happy Faces – Sad faces.

At first, it seemed as though it would be an even fight between Whites and Mayor Bloom, but as time passed by it got more and more clear to us that we weren’t going to win. You could feel how the tension in my livingroom made the air vibrate. Nobody said anything but we probably all had the same thought in mind: We failed.

Pomelo was the first to speak, “Oh well, there’s always another chance in two years, right?” That was the straw that broke the camel’s back and Flax jumped up, demanding to get Pomelo out of his sight. The disappointment laid like a shell all around him but it was the most clear in his eyes, which was tearing up.

Pomelo didn’t need to be told twice and was out of my house faster than you could have said Marshmallow Puff. I myself, tried my best to comfort Flax while the other members of Whites also started to make their leave. Soon, it was only me, Flax and Drover left. Being fairly alone calmed Flax down and eventually, he was calm enough to sit down again. I knew better than to try anything of the kind Pomelo had, as it would only put even more light on the fact that we didn’t win.

“Can I sleep on your couch tonight” Flax asked several hours later, after having cried, screamed and sat in silence. “I just don’t want to go out at all tonight.” I looked towards the bedroom door, where Drover had gone to sleep about an hour ago, before I nodded in response. That’s what friends do, stick up for each other.

“Thanks love” Flax said and gave me a peck on the cheek. After that he fell asleep almost instantly and I remained seated in the livingroom just watching him sleep for a while. Little Flax, all grown up.

At first, it blew my mind when I realized just how big Flax’s “group of friends” was. It wasn’t exactly a group of friends anymore, it was more like a real political organization. The members came from many different corners of the society, even though the teenagers were still a majority. They all wanted me to be the person in charge, but I was much more confident to stay a bit in the background. I thought it would have more power if it was colorful ‘bows who lead us.

Flax, who was the brain behind it all, kept on leading the group. Our meetings (which seemed more like family gatherings) took place in our homes and the amount of members showing up varied. The important part was that we were growing and that we had a clear manifest: Colorless deserves the same rights as colorful!

Flax was, despite his young age, a terrific leader. He had all the qualities needed and his big dream of becoming a known political one day was probably not that far away. I sometimes envied him because he had all that time ahead of him. The time to chase his goal. Maybe I had been to ambitious while I was young, because it felt like I had reached everything I had ever dreamed of already. I needed something new to work for, ’cause that’s how I work. I need something to keep myself pushing forward.

At first I didn’t realize I already had something that I was pushing for, but the insight slowly crept upon me. Drover.

Saving him from that fire had just been the first step. Now I needed him around me constantly. Partly because he kept telling me how awesome I was and how thankful he was for everything I had done. And partly because I was thankful for meeting him and because he was quite awesome too.

We were like missing pieces of a puzzle, instantly fitting together. He was the best friend one could imagine. And friendship was something I hadn’t explored so far in my life. It would be an interesting journey.

And of course, we had our little group with our little mission. After all these years trying to prove the value of colorless berries it was strange having a whole group of them by my side, trying to do the same thing. I must say, it made it less important for me. See, I felt like I had already succeeded – there existed berries who accepted me as a real berry, even though I was white. I could settle with that, even though there was still lots to be done.

But I wasn’t lonely anymore, and that’s what really mattered.

“We’ll go to the city hall today” Flax said eagerly and waved a big sign above his head, excitement accessorizing every word he said. Some people clapped their hands by the idea and some just stood quiet and still. Flax lowered his voice in to a dark whisper and continued, “It’s time that we show them. It’s time to out our existence.”

We walked as a group towards the city hall. Our white clothes shined bright in contrast to the colorful surroundings and berries passing by couldn’t help but to stare at us. There was a tense, exciting atmosphere surrounding us. We walked in silence, only the occasional whispers between some of our comrades to break the complete silence.

Once we arrived we raised our signs and waited for Flax to go first. At the sound of his voice we all started chanting: “Colorless is beautiful!” “Rights for white!” “White is a color!”

It was a truly uplifting feeling being apart of this happening. I spent a short moment thinking about my father and I realized that he would be proud of me. That there was lots he would be proud of. I smiled and yelled higher than anyone else: “WHITE ‘BOWS ARE ALSO ‘BOWS!”

Later that night we held a little party at my place (which, by the way was starting to look more and more like a home for each day). It was a cheerful evening with many laughs and as I looked around and realized that these were all my friends I felt a warm feeling rush through my body, which left me with a goofy grin on my face.

“We did it!” Drover threw himself around my neck, lifted me up and span around in a hug. I’m not sure if we really accomplished anything of value with our protest but we did get a few encouraging words from other ‘bows passing by. The hug from Drover felt good non-the-less.

When he put me back down he kept his hands on my shoulders and looked straight at me, “You’re an amazing friend, Mallow. And the bravest berry I’ve ever met. I hope you know that you mean the world to me.” We hugged each other again, a long warming hug that sent tingles through my body. He was surely something special, this Drover guy.

And so the party continued.

“Could you all listen for a moment” Flax had jumped on to my kitchen table to speak. “In two months I’ll be celebrating my 18th birthday and take the step in to adulthood. I want to thank you all for joining me in this group. It’s an honor seeing so many of you fight for the rights of colorless.” He was met with applauds and whistles.

“I’ve decided to turn this in to a real political party” he continued once everyone was listening again. “The next election is in eight months and by that time I’ll be old enough to have a ruling spot in the government. So, what I’m saying is: Will you all have my back as I hunt down all those oldfashioned opinions and create a new, better place for ALL BERRIES?!”

I thought my house would collapse by the hubbub. Everyone went absolutely nuts of excitement and the YEEEEEES! that followed Flax’s speech was probably heard all over Fondant Fields.

“Is she awake yet?” The voice was nothing but a blur. It somehow seemed familiar but I couldn’t place it. Not in the condition I was, barely even aware of my surroundings. It was all mostly a blur.

“Nope, still unconscious” another voice, this one completely unknown to me, replied.

“Promise to call if she wakes up, okay? I have to go” The first voice said and then I heard the faint sound of footsteps and a door closing.

“How is she?” It was a third voice. Worried.

I slowly opened my eyes and sat up. I felt a bit dizzy, quite a lot disoriented and stiff. I carefully stretched my arms out and noticed that my body felt sore, hurt and weak. The walls around me were colorful so I knew I could not possibly be at my own place, so then, where was I?

“She’s awake!” The third voice belonged to a man and he seemed incredibly happy to see me awake. He was familiar, but I still didn’t manage to place him.

“Shh. Take it easy, let her wake up before you attack her” the woman to whom the second voice belonged said. Her voice was serious but still with a jokeful tone.

“Sorry” the yellow man mumbled and sat down at the couch next to me again. By now I had almost my full vision back, even though I still felt confused and dizzy. The walls were all painted in a warm orange tone and the floor in a complementing blue. Judging by the colors, I would say the place belonged to the woman who had just spoken. She had a cold blue skintone and yellow hair with orange tops. Her ears pointed backwards. She looked just like any normal ‘bow, except for her shining white dress.

“Who are you?” I wondered. My voice was weak which I guessed depended on it not being used in a while. I cleared my throat while listening to their answers.

“I’m Drover” the yellow guy stated. “And the blue bossy girl over there is Pixie” he continued with a joking, mocking tone in his voice. Not that it was a big surprise, but I could tell that the two of them were friends.

“You’re dressed in white” I pointed out, even though I was already fairly certain that they were aware of this.

“So are you” Drover replied and smiled.

“You’ll have to excuse him” Pixie said and moved closer. “He’s just been so eager to meet you. We’re Flax’s friends. We took care of you after the fire. Or, I mean, I did. Drover just came over to see that you were okay. You had him worried.”

“What happened?” I asked, having no memory of what actually had happened, except that Drover was the guy who my co-workers wanted us to leave in the house, burning to death. Apparantly, since he was all alive before me, I had managed to get him out of the house before I passed out.

“You saved my life, that’s what happened!” Drover was happy. He seemed to be a man of energy, from the little I had seen of him. Pixie, on the other hand, seemed more calm and relaxed. I noticed that she giggled everytime Drover’s energy shined through while he spoke. I stood up to look at her, motioning for her to explain to me.

“You went in after him when everyone thought it was already too late” Pixie explained. “You shouldn’t have gone in again. Not after getting Hybrid out, but you did. Drover lives because of you. I thought you wouldn’t make it… We couldn’t keep you at the hospital, we needed you to get better so I signed you out. I’ll probably lose my job if they find out, but you deserved the best of treatment after what you did. But since you’re colorless they wouldn’t have bothered too much. You were there for weeks without getting better and in the end me and Blueberry, I mean your mom, decided it was better to check you out and bring you here.”

“My mother was here?” I asked, even though I had already figured she had been the first voice.

“Aye, you just missed her” Drover said and confirmed what I already knew.

“We’ve been going shifts taking care of you” Pixie continued. “And we noticed you got better almost right after you got here. Drover has been here pretty much all the time, guarding by your side. And me, Blueberry and Flax has taken turns to come in and look after you. It’s good to have you back.”

“How long have I been gone?” I asked and realized I didn’t know what day or date it was.

“About six weeks. Long time…” Drover answered. Pixie nodded next to him, as if she was confirming what he said. Six weeks… That was indeed a long time.

It was enough time for a lot of things to happen, I found out later. Such as myself earning another promotion at work and a special thanks from the government for saving the lives of two berries. Enough time for Flax’s little rebellion group to grow a lot bigger (which they apparantly had me to thank for, for being a colorless hero) and enough time for my own bills being piled up and the repo-man coming to my house, stealing two kitchen chairs. Okay, the last part wasn’t exactly a good thing, but all in all most of the changes seemed to be good.

I learned that both Drover and Pixie was my friends, even though I didn’t exactly know them. It took only a few hours for me to learn to trust them. Except for my parents, they were my first friends. I had to remember to call Flax and thank him some day.

Pixie, I soon learned was one of my mother’s co-workers and also one of her best friends. She had been one of the first to join Flax’s group of colorless colored ‘bows. She knew pretty much everything about me and held me as one of her biggest inspirational sources. It was weird meeting berries who looked at you that way. But I couldn’t not like Pixie. She was easy to talk to, relaxing to be around and kind beyond worlds.

Drover was, just as I had first thought, an energetic man with a heart of gold. His brother Hybrid had told him several times about how I fought my co-workers to get back in to save him and he, in his turn, had passed the story on to me. He had shamefully admitted that he had been one of the many berries who hated us colorless but that he had changed his mind right after hearing about me. He explained that it was a big lie he had been raised upon and that he didn’t actually think much about it. But apparantly, I was the living proof of colorless good berries. Since they brought me to Pixie’s house he hadn’t left my side once because he wanted to be there when I woke up, to be able to thank me personally. He had joined the rebellions as soon as he was signed out of the hospital himself.

My mother had in fact been a member of Flax’s rebellious group the entire time without telling me. She wanted me to make my own decision even though she had known right away that it was the right thing to do. She told me she would always fight for mine, and others of my kinds’, rights.

Flax was the proudest and youngest rebellion leader one could ever imagine and his help in making sure I got better was something I would never be able to return. Despite his young age, I had to admit that he was now one of my best friends.

I myself decided to join their group just shortly after, only to discover that I had a lot of friends in town that I didn’t know about. This was just the beginning.

I could hear them talk behind my back. In fact, they talked in front of me too. The macho-berries (men, of course) who worked at the fire station found it silly, ridiculous and down right disgusting that someone like me had been offered a job there. The fact that I had been the most qualified applicant, both regarding education and physical capabilities seemed to go by un-noticed. What mattered was color, or rather, my lack of color and the fact that I was a girl.

They didn’t even budge by the fact that my father had been one of the most talented fire fighters in town. A hero, if you so wish. I knew I would follow his path, but there was no one else believing in me. Not even my mother. After the tragic event with my father she had followed his path and begged me to choose another job. One that wasn’t so dangerous. Little did she know, that the danger that came with the job was what pulled me there.

My father died in a big fire four years ago. He died a hero and have been grieved by the majority of ‘bows in town. Little Flax (who’s not so little anymore) and his parents constantly comes to my father’s grave to make sure it’s decorated okay. I’ve met them there several times, it’s almost as though they are my own family. Because my father saved Flax from a gruesome death in that fire, they seem to feel like they owe us something. I bet that’s why they accept me as a normal berry, even though I’m colorless.

I won’t lie though, I did feel like they were responsible for my father’s death for many years. I couldn’t stand seeing Flax grow and knowing that my father died, saving him. I’ve learned to accept that now and I know that if I got the opportunity, I would do the exact same thing. That’s the beauty with this job.

The first time the alarm sounded I almost choked on my sandwich. The adrenaline that instantly started rushing through my body is indescribable. We have no more than 90 seconds to get dressed, get in our trucks and be on our way from the moment the alarm sounds. I knew I’d manage it, but the rush that comes out of that pressure is amazing non-the-less. When we got to the right house we quickly figured it was only a small fire and that it would be easy enough to put it out. It was a good enough first mission, I’d say.

It was my hope that for every fire I helped distinguish I would prove, once and for all, that colorless berries are equals to colorful berries. Honestly, it’s unbelievable that such racism exist still today. I guess it also has to do with the fact that colorless berries feed it too, just by dressing in color. We should be proud of who we are. Maybe I can be a role-model, someone to look up to. I’ll be the new hero in town.

—

I’ve never really had any friends. Understandable, when you consider the fact that colorless berries usually are treated as though they have some disease. They all seem so scared, as if they were afraid that my lack of color would somehow infect them.

The thing was, though, that now that I had moved out from my mother’s home, it would easily get quite lonely. I had no-one to talk to. And so far, the other firefighters treated me just as they would treat any colorless sim. They simply ignored me and made sure to stay out of my way. It was the first time I found myself wishing I had a friend.

“I miss you dad” I stood by his grave and talked to him. I often came here to talk to him. He had, after all, been the best friend I’ve ever had. Even though he discouraged my firefighter dream, he had always stood up for me and believed in me. He was not only the hero in town, but also the hero in my life. “I hate how they ignore me. I wish you were here to tell me I’m valuable. Dad, I need you.”

“I could tell you that” a young man’s voice said and I noticed a pair of feet moving closer. As I looked up I saw Flax’s smiling face.

“Times are changing” he said. “Most people my age don’t agree with those old sayings. We know better.”

I smiled, it was rather cute with the naive teenagers. Their fate in future, their certainity in a changing world. “Thanks…”

“Look” he suddenly said in a much more eager tone and took a swirl in front of me. I don’t know how I could possibly have missed it. He was all dressed in white.

“Why?” I wondered, curiosity catching me.

“Many of us do it” he answered proud. “We’re making a statement… I think we are about… 15 already!” He was shining with pride. A colorful berry dressed in white, there was still lots for a woman’s eyes to see. I had never heard of anything of its kind. Colorless berries in color, sure. But this?

“It isn’t just teenagers” he continued, still with pride in his voice. “You should come! You could be like our leader!”

“I don’t think so Flax…” I said, knowing that I had my hands full with my new job and trying to get approved by my co-workers. “But I appreciate the gesture” I said and stood up. I waved him goodbye and started to make a leave.

Current Generation

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The random legacy challenge

The random legacy challenge requires you to roll for each generation to randomly decide on marital structure, amount of children, careers and specific goals/restrictions for each generation. The rules can be found here.

A constantly on-going discussion about the challenge can be found in this thread on modthesims.